Culture shift: British Museum displays stolen treasures

In August, the British Museum announced that around 2,000 objects had been stolen, damaged, or missing from its storerooms in one of the most shocking stories of the year.

Around 350 items have been recovered to date, and in a new exhibition dedicated to Ancient Roman and Greek culture, 10 of these items will be on display.

The new exhibition will showcase a further 500 objects that were not involved in the crime, with previously stolen items in their own display case and labelled.

Chair of the museum’s Board of Trustees, George Osborne, told the BBC that the exhibition was an example of ‘cultural change’ within the institution.

“We promised we’d show the world the gems that were stolen and recovered – rather than hide them away,” he said.

It’s believed that the thefts took place over 20 years and that the museum was alerted to the alleged sale of stolen items in 2021 but failed to take action.

The museum was repeatedly alerted to the theft by dealer and collector Ittai Gradel. Gradel said he has been pleased with the recent efforts to recover from the controversy.

“I am greatly pleased also to see that the whole culture of the institution appears to be changing to one of much greater openness and willingness to confront problems than what I encountered in 2021,” he said.

Following the controversy, director Hartwig Fischer resigned, and former Victoria and Albert Museum director Sir Mark Jones was appointed in the interim.

The police investigation into the thefts is ongoing. Located in London, the British Museum is more than 260 years old.

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